Alexander Smith Cochran : modernist architect in traditional Baltimore / Christopher Weeks.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Weeks, Christopher, 1950-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cochran, Alexander Smith, 1913-1990--Criticism and interpretation.

Cochran, Alexander Smith.

Cochran, Alexander Smith, 1913-1990.

Building, Iron and steel--Maryland--Baltimore.

Building, Iron and steel.

Eclecticism in architecture--Maryland--Baltimore.

Eclecticism in architecture.

Architecture, Modern--20th century--Maryland--Baltimore.

Architecture, Modern.

Buildings--Maryland--Baltimore.

Buildings.

Criticism and interpretation.

Maryland--Baltimore.

Physical Description:

viii, 173 pages : illustrations, map ; 26 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore, MD : Maryland Historical Society, [1995]

Summary:

Architectural historian G. E. Kidder Smith described Alexander Cochran (1913-1990) of Baltimore as an "architectural missionary." The reference was remarkably acute, for Cochran, besides being devoted to modernism, was a highly romantic, deeply religious humanist who repeatedly stated his desire to keep the best of the past while adapting it to modern needs. He was profoundly devoted to social justice and the right of all to enjoy beauty. Ultimately, the power of his passion for modernism transformed his city and pointed the way to the renaissance of Baltimore's downtown and harbor area in the 1960s. A frequent collaborator with builder James Rouse, Cochran studied with Walter Gropius (of Bauhaus fame) at Harvard and returned to his native Baltimore determined to introduce modernist architectural ideas. His Lake Avenue house shocked Baltimore traditionalists but was influential throughout the country in promoting the style that came to be known as "contemporary" in the 1950s and 1960s. This book opens with a short biography of Cochran -- peopled with the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, George Howe, Richard Neutra, and Eero Saarinen. The second half is a photographic portfolio of Cochran's most significant work.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-167) and index.

ISBN:

0938420534

OCLC:

32468558